19–21; 22–20; 20–22

That was how Indian shuttler, P V Sindhu, played through sapping one and half hours in World Championship final in Glasgow. The score tells everything about this hero of the game, who very incidently lost the last bit in the decider. Kudos, Manpower !

About 5 apiece

In ODI Cricket, that would be a good average for runs conceded per over bowled. But that isn’t it. It is the runs Indian bowler Bumrah conceded before downing his next opponent wicket. That is great performance. Kudos, Manpower !

Among other news this morning, there was a large writeup, fulminating ramble picking up on Supreme Court’s 1994 judgement in S R Bommai case and another in 1996. Both dwelt on constituted secularism, starting with areligious character of envisaged State power and, by derivation, of Political Parties that are fundamental to any democratic system. The demand is essentially behavioural — policies, decisions and actions. It bars use of religion in electoral arena.

I have lived through a long list of contraventions to this aspect in the laws of the land. The value itself seems desirable. There was a long period of great tussle between the king and the Church in England, and France, until the matter was cleanly settled during the decades around French Revolution. Imagine if it had not, if kings were still bound to obey Church advisories !

But the secular Ideal for State power and political conflicts, in practical terms, when another constitutional provision allows individual liberty to practice of religion and profess religious belief. In addition, the constitution admits legality of “personal laws” by denominated religions. Huh, eh ! The secular idea expresses a collective need; the individual right to religious freedom is real. The people in areligious State offices and secular political parties are free to be religious. Which explains the multiple breach of secular expectation in law.

OMG, what is precious in the Spiritual Ideal of religion conflicts with equally important temporal need for equity and justice. I find little possibility of bridging the two, in their currently expressed forms in the constitution. Who will rewrite them and when ? There are fierce flocks for the status quo. Those who want change are votaries of the spiritual ideal. Who knows the ideal ? It has claiments who will cause mayhem if denied. We must go back to the real with the ideal in mind.

That close to $11 billion credited to the accounts of 300 million of the poorest is heartening. The goal is to have a billion Aadhar IDs, a billion smartphones and a billion JanDhan accounts. People are at work; the nation is in the making.

There are more Indian geopolitical curls to straighten in Afghanistan, at NSG, and with China. And several disunifying wrinkles within to smoothen.

Till I post next…